The Ethiopian government disclosed that it has been taking military measures against TPLF since the resumption of hostilities in August.
“The Government of Ethiopia has been taking preventive measures to degrade the rebel group’s capabilities from launching further attacks,” Ethiopia Current Issues Fact Check said in a statement.
It is stated that the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) have been carrying out “their mission with great care to avoid collateral damage with precision strikes on rebel military assets”.
Since the war resumed in Tigray after five months of cessation of hostilities, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has been accusing the Ethiopian government of conducting several drone air strikes targetting civilians and mass mobilization of the army towards Tigray.
“As it has been doing in the past, the TPLF group continues to terrorize the local populace by hiding its arms and leaders on the run within health facilities, schools, places of worship, residential areas, and other social service facilities with the express intent of creating outrage from a possible civilian attack,” reads the statement from Ethiopia Current Issues Fact Check.
TPLF alleged that the Eritrean government conducted consecutive ariel attacks at the town of Adi Daero in North Western Tigray killing and wounding many residents.
The government on its side however said the Ethiopian Air Force recently conducted an air strike targeting the locations of military equipment and arsenals of the TPLF in Adi Daero, Tigray region.
“And as expected, pre-drafted fallacious claims have been released by TPLF supporters that civilians have been targeted in this operation. Nonetheless, Ethiopian National Defense Forces ensure that military assets are isolated from civilians before taking action.”
Video footage showing a drone strike on a warehouse-like building is also attached to a Twitter thread in the statement.
The government also condemned TPLF to use properties under the United Nations and other humanitarian aid institutions for transportation and storage of weapons caches.
A WFP spokesperson said that debris from a drone strike conducted on Sep 25 in the Tigray region hit a World Food Programme truck carrying humanitarian aid and injured the driver.
The Government Communication Service said on Sept 26 accused the TPLF of appropriating trucks assigned to deliver humanitarian assistance for the purpose of transporting its fighters and cautioned humanitarian organizations to stay away from the areas it is targeting in its missions.
“The government once again would like to alert aid organizations to refrain from operating in areas where the government is taking preventive measures to thwart attacks launched against it.”
